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Some of you have asked me why we still have information on our website about “going digital,” but clearly the fact that we still receive newly recorded audio on “old-fashioned” cassette tapes tells me that some people just don’t understand the importance of upgrading technology (on a lot of levels). After 44 years in business, we finally took the “tape” out of our name, because it’s all about the audio!
Today I’m writing about more than “going digital,” but I will also touch upon recording habits in general. Remember, just because you’re recording digitally does NOT mean that you will automatically have broadcast quality audio. (WHAT?! You’re thinking, ‘it’s digital, so it has to be better quality.’) There’s a lot involved in recording, and as the person conducting the recording, you need to stop and think about the details of recording for more than a couple of seconds. That’s right, we know that some of you already know these things, but do you truly take the time to learn your device before using it? I know that’s a very personal question, so think about it for a moment. You don’t have to share.
The quick points to remember:
First and foremost, it’s now 2011, so use a digital recorder! You can walk into any electronics store, or jump online and find one. Just do some research first. Remember, in 2004, 90 % of our clients used analog equipment to record their interviews. Now in 2011, 95% of our clients use digital equipment to record their interviews. You’ll have immediate access to your audio recording. Volume too low? There’s software for you to give the file a quick boost to increase the sound quality. Is your transcriptionist next door or across the country? It doesn’t matter where they are located, because you can upload your audio to them, and still have access to listen your audio. Imagine never having to spend shipping dollars again!!
You’ve purchased that device, but you really don’t want to delve into the box with the paperwork and all sorts of wires that are tucked neatly inside. Read the paperwork, and use the wires. Of all the wires in the box, use an A/C power-supply – it might be 2011, but batteries die quickly, so plug in when you can. For those times that you forgot it at home, bring plenty of backup batteries!! Seriously, go buy stock in the major brands, because you will always want to have an ample supply of batteries quickly within reach! You never know when you’ll have to record those unexpected longer interviews. Think of it as practicing “safe recording”!
Another important piece of equipment to use is an external microphone. Different situations require different types of microphones, so you’ll need to do a little studying up on what your recording environment needs. If you’re able, try more than one external microphone among the group, to be sure you have properly mic’d all of your speakers. This is especially important for any group larger than 3 individuals, and be sure to place these microphones as close as possible to the people who are speaking. Sitting at a long table with people at both ends of the table? Think about how the person at the end of the table will sound if there is only one microphone in the middle of the table. Murphy’s law also says that person will be your most verbal in the group. Conducting a one-on-one interview? Drop into Radio Shack beforehand, and grab a lapel mic. The difference in recording quality is remarkable, and you’ll thank yourself later (as will your transcriptionist).For a more detailed read, look over our recording tips page, and check out some of the other service providers we recommend as well.
Always remember your ultimate goals when you’re recording. If you’re going to have your audio transcribed, you want the best recording possible, so give your transcriptionists audio that they can transcribe both fast and accurately! If you can believe it, we’re telling you to spend a little more up front, that will save you money on a service we provide. Go figure…
Nobody likes being replaced by a computer, or a robot, and we are no exception. Our short answer to that question is this: “we are more accurate and more versatile than the software available today.”
Still don’t believe us? Well, we’re going to introduce you to our competition.
Speech recognition has been around since 1952: that early device could recognize single spoken digits. (We, on the other hand, have been around since 1966, and were able to recognize whole spoken sentences immediately.)
The next large leap forward came in 1982: Dragon Software, who still release speech recognition software today, released software for industrial use. By 1985, that software had a vocabulary of 1,000 words – spoken one at a time. (That is comparable to a four-year-old child. We don’t recommend having a four-year-old, even a precocious one, transcribe your audio.)
Dragon itself even admits this today: “Most of us develop the ability to recognize speech when we’re very young. We’re already experts at speech recognition by the age of three or so.” Our college-educated transcriptionists had vocabularies in the 17,000-word (and up) range. Even in 1985. And they still do.
By 1993, a computer could recognize over 20,000 spoken words, which put it on a par with human beings. Except for the accuracy, which was only 10% in 1993. By 1995, the error rate had dropped to 50%, which is quite a leap in a short time. (Our transcriptionists test at 98% accuracy.)
We know, we know…
“That was back then. How about now?”
We’re glad you asked.
There are a lot of data points up there, so let me highlight the important features:
A 98% accuracy rate means you will spend much less time reviewing your audio, correcting errors and inaccuracies, and much more time growing your business.
The bottom line is this: computers are getting smaller, and more powerful, all the time. They can do many things better than human beings can.
But not, as you can see, transcription. And looking at the graph, they won’t catch up anytime soon.
Your audio wasn’t recorded in a lab, it was recorded in the real world, where we live. We transcribe conversations and meetings every day, from all over the world. Not to mention webcasts, dictation, presentations, and conferences.
Again, Dragon says it themselves: “People can filter out noise fairly easily, which lets us talk to each other almost anywhere. We have conversations in busy train stations, across the dance floor, and in crowded restaurants. It would be very dull if we had to sit in a quiet room every time we wanted to talk to each other! Unlike people, computers need help separating speech sounds from other sounds.”
We like computers, and we think we can co-exist. So, by all means, speak your destination into your cell phone’s GPS, or say “tech support” to speak to technical support. Those are two versions of speech-recognition software that many of us use almost every day.
But if your audio is any more complicated than that, call us. We’re versatile, we’re accurate, and if you pour us enough coffee, we won’t crash.
We have run full tests on the entire Dragon experience, from opening the box all the way to the proof of the pudding, which is in the crust… er, the transcript. We will publish those results on or before February 17, so keep an eye on your inbox and this blog for the results!
Headquartered in Somerville, Ma. Powderhouse Productions has been producing a wide range of television shows since 1994 for channels such as PBS, National Geographic, TLC, and the programs we’ve most recently been transcribing, “Dogs 101,” “Cats 101,” and “Pets 101” for the Animal Planet network.
So you truly want to know the answers to these questions, well you could just ask my team of transcriptionists, but then you wouldn’t be watching the premiere this Saturday night at 8 p.m. on Animal Planet.
– Dan Miller VP, Production
In our inimitable fashion here at ATC (www.audiotranscriptioncenter.com) we’re constantly reading through all those emails we’re receiving from different listservs about any number of things. The latest one that caught our eyes was about how rapidly technology is changing, and it got us thinking on many levels. WWOCD? What Would Our Clients Do? The article in the latest issue of ComputerWorld.com is written by Lamont Wood, “Fending off the digital dark ages: The archival storage issue.” So this is where transcription of those audio/video collections is key to the longevity of your archives.
When was the last time you tried to play a 33 rpm record? When did you find an old floppy disk with information that you couldn’t access? How about that interview of Aunt Lucy and Uncle Joe in the shoebox that was recorded in 1972 on any sort of media that is now outdated? Point being, anything you record today will be outdated in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years. Do you have a plan? Does your customer have a plan? We don’t have a plan either, but hey, we got you thinking about it.
As far as I know no company is currently transcribing on sheepskin, but most everyone who receives their transcripts is storing them digitally. These digital transcripts are now searchable documents, and then they are usually printed and stored for archival purposes as needed.
The question again is, how often is digital media changing?
Plainly, your audio archives will someday be obsolete, and you’ll have to look at ways to convert these collections to a new functional usable format. (How many of you are already doing this every 5, 10, 15 years or so?) These transcripts of the media content provide the essence of what researchers need!
What will you do to make sure this scenario doesn’t happen to you or your client? Or will you be retired by that point, and leave the “legacy” to someone else?
Excuse me, which way is “Farakaveh”?
Not too long ago, a member of our production team was reviewing a transcript of an oral history interview before sending the completed work back to the client.
While the work was top-notch as usual, there was one word that just didn’t sit quite right with our eagle-eyed (or nitpicky, however you want to phrase it) production-er and he couldn’t bring himself to press “send.”
Instead, he took a few minutes to listen and re-listen to that little blip of audio but kept hearing the same thing the transcriber had: “Farakaveh.”
Eh, good enough…
While putting the word in brackets with a question mark to indicate it as a guess and sending off the transcript might have been the next acceptable step, he just couldn’t let it go.
So he brought in some outside expertise, someone with a background that might help decipher the accent of the interviewee — a Jewish, rather Russian and very New Yawk elderly woman. In this case, that “outside expert” happened to be ATC founder and president, Sandy Poritzky.
Bringing in the “Big Kahuna”
While we couldn’t quite get our top exec to sit down and listen to the audio on a pair of headphones (though we admit it is fun to picture that scenario in our minds), we did the next best thing by putting the printed transcript on his desk. One quick read and Sandy recognized “Farakaveh” pretty much immediately. It’s a little neighborhood in Queens, NY. Probably better known as “Far Rockaway.”
The moral of the story?
Well, it could be that we go the extra mile (yay!). Or, it could be that we employ fiendishly detail-oriented and extremely cautious people (they’re our heart and soul!). Or, it could be that sometimes the big boss actually does have all the answers (shudder). Mostly, we like to think it illustrates another point: Transcription isn’t always just what you *think* you hear.
Oral History Meets TV = Transcription Bliss @ ATC
We here at the Audio Transcription Center have probably all watched more television in our lives than we care to admit. Still, we like to think of ourselves less as gluttons for the tube and more as refined connoisseurs of the medium. But, though we may try to act all cool, nothing sets us a-twitter like receiving a new transcription assignment from our friends at the Archive of American Television (you might know them better as “The Emmys”)
Wait, TV has an Archive?
Yup. Founded in 1997, the Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television is a treasure trove of one-on-one interviews with TV luminaries — from the early pioneers who shaped the medium, to beloved personalities of TV’s golden age; from the actors, actresses, news anchors, and hosts who’ve worked in front of the camera, to the directors, writers, composers and producers who’ve worked behind the scenes.
From the BoobTube to YouTube
And, as part of its vision “to chronicle electronic media history as it evolves… and make the interviews available worldwide,” the Archive has digitized over 2,000 hours of its original content, making hundreds of these interviews accessible online. For FREE.
A few of the most recently posted interviews include:
And of course our first love, Transcripts
In addition to having hundreds of interviews available to watch online, complete transcripts of most of the interviews are available from the Archive (for a fee, and for research purposes only). For additional info, contact the Archive’s Digital Projects Manager, Jenni Matz.
SO WHAT’S THE DIFF?
But it’s not just the difference in technology that separates the Audio Transcription Center from the transcription services of yore (mother’s days). It’s our attitude towards the business and our firm belief that we are only as good as the people we employ.
We strive to be more than just an office where an army of anonymous typists sit and click out transcripts day after day in stuffy cubicles.
Sure, we have a large staff (100 plus!) who all can type a minimum of 75 WPM, and who seem to work tirelessly at our 15 workstations, 24/7/365. And, okay, there might be some cubicle-esque work areas here… but that’s where the similarities end.
A PLACE FOR BRAINIACS
But what we continually take pride in is that all of our staff members have so much more to offer than just speed, accuracy, and efficiency. They’re brainiacs, to be honest. At any given time, we employ some of the best and brightest transcriptionists with degrees ranging from BAs, to JD, to PhDs. To use a classic Sandy-ism, “Since when do Boston’s PhDs have to give up eating?”
Not only do our transcriptionists come to us well-educated (and usually hungry), they also come from a myriad of social and ethnic backgrounds with knowledge sets ranging from science and tech, to popular culture, to art history, to finance, to law, and more.
Working with this large and diverse pool of knowledge and talent allows us to custom match transcription projects to just the right person (or people) for the job.
Add that all together with our ability to handle pretty much any audio file, our streamlined work flow and digital workstations, and that’s what gives us the confidence to offer:
WHAT ARE YOU, LIKE SUPERHEROES OR SOMETHING?
Well, when it comes to transcription at least. And we certainly think we’d all look pretty sharp in capes…
